Title

Author

Date of Award

2009

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.A.

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Cramer, Kenneth (Psychology)

Keywords

Psychology, Clinical.

Rights

CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to better understand the inconsistent outcomes of exercise and exercise dependence on body satisfaction and self-esteem. Ninety-nine women completed measures assessing exercise dependence (i.e., excessive and compulsive exercise), reasons for exercising, positive and negative perfectionism (i.e., whether high standards are pursued to achieve positive outcomes or to avoid negative ones, respectively), body satisfaction, and self-esteem. A series of mediation analyses, hierarchical regression analyses, and a path analysis revealed that women who are positive perfectionists experience better body satisfaction and self-esteem in association with exercise, and women who are negative perfectionists experience worse. Further, it was determined that a combination of high levels of both exercise dependence and positive perfectionism was associated with better body satisfaction. Additionally, the motivation to exercise out of a desire to improve appearance and control weight mediated the relationships between exercise dependence and both perfectionism types.